Floor level lift control mechanism



I. V. K.'HOTT ETAL FLOOR LEVEL L-IFT CONTROL MECHANISM Original Filed Nov. 24, 1950 Feb. 10, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. /0/V I. 5 H077 I rat/Va)"- Feb. 10, 1959 I, v. K. HO'LI'T ET AL 7 FLOOR LEVEL LIFT CONTROL MECHANISM Original Filed Nov. 24, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. /0/V 1 ,6, H077 Feb. 10, 1959 l. v. K. H OTT ET AL FLOOR LEVEL LIFT CONTROL MECHANISM Original Filed Nov. 24, 1950 x z 7 +v3 2 w a m m w+ w mnw MW w m .J H M K7 l Km 0 k r M M W@ 4 7////////////// B m z I. fi ww 4 w m 6, a 4! a W W w W 7 i +13 2 1 Feb. 10, 1959 I. v. K. HOTT ET AL FLOOR LEVEL LIFT CONTROL MECHANISM Original Filed Nov. 24, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

States FLOOR LEVEL LIFT CONTROL MECHANISM Ion V. K. Hott and Robert J. Haddix, Dayton, Ohio, assignors to The Joyce-Cridland Company, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of ()hio 4- Claims. (Cl. 137-622) This invention relates to a value unit to control the fluid connections between two fluid operated devices and a source of fluid under pressure and is an improvement upon the apparatus of our application Serial No. 51,668 filed September 29, 1948, now Patent No 2,681,077, issued June 15, 1954. This application is a division of our application Serial No. 197,274 filed November 24, 1950, now abandoned.

One object of the invention is to provide a control device in which the flow controlling elements, the connections between the same, and the actuating means therefor, are of such a character that they may be enclosed in a casing of small size which is adapted to be mounted in a floor with its upper end substantially flush with the surface of the floor. A further object of the invention is to provide a valve unit for controlling the flow of propellant fluid from a source of such fluid to two fluid operated mechanisms and in which separate flow paths lead from a single inlet to the respective mechanisms and the flow through each path is controlled by a reciprocatory valve.

A further object of the invention is to provide a flow controlling device of this type comprising a casing hav ing formed therein an inlet passage, two outlet passages and two flow paths connecting said inlet passage with the respective outlet passages, and separate valves to control the flow of fluid through the respective flow paths.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a control device in which the casing is provided with a return passage leading back to the source of fluid and with flow paths connecting said delivery passages with said return passage and having separate valves to control the flow of return fluid from said flow passages to said return passages.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device for controlling the flow of propellant liquid from an air pressure tank to hydraulic mechanisms and for the return of said liquid to said pressure tank, comprising a casing having an air passage connected with said tank, separate valve controlled flow paths alternatively connecting said air passage with a source of air under pressure and with an exhaust opening, and also having a liquid passage connected with said tank and separate valve controlled flow paths connecting saidliquid passage with the respective hydraulic mechanisms.

Other objects and advantages reside in the construction of parts, the combination thereof and the mode of operation, as will become more apparent from the following description.

p In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a schematic view of a two post hydraulic automobile lift equipped with the invention.

Figure 1A is a modification of the hydraulic system shown in Figure 1 and is fully disclosed in the aforementioned application Serial No. 197,274, new abandoned. I

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 4.

' Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 4-.

it atcnt F Figure 4 is a vertical section through a valve unit on the line 4--4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the valve unit.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the air valve and liquid valve actuating devices.

Figure 7 is a sectional view showing the air valve actuating device in elevation.

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic view of the valve unit.

In these drawings an embodiment of the invention is shown. This embodiment is designed for use in a hydraulic two post lift in which the propellant liquid is delivered from the tank to the lift by air pressure. It is to be understood that the invention may take various forms and may be used to control hydraulic mechanisms of various kinds.

In Figure 1 there is illustrated a two post hydraulic automobile lift equipped with the invention. This two post lift is of a known construction and preferably comprises two hydraulic lifting mechanisms 20 and 21, each of which comprises a cylinder 22 mounted below the level of a floor, or pavement 23, a ram 24 mounted in the cylinder and a superstructure 25, the two superstructures being adapted to engage and support the respective end portions of an automobile. This type of lift is usually employed for'servicing busses, trucks, or other large and heavy automobiles. The superstructures 25 move through openings in the floor which are provided with automatically operated doors which are completely closed when the superstructures are in their lowered positions, thus providing a continuous floor surface free from obstructions, and are closed, or partly closed, when the superstructures are in their elevated positions, thus permitting an operator to work beneath the automobile on the lift without danger of stepping into the openings. In the lifting mechanism 20 the doors 26 are completely closed when the lift is in either its lowered position or its elevated position and the doors 27 are completely closed when the lifting mechanism is in its lowered position and are partially closed when the lifting mechanism is in its elevated position. In lifting mechanism 21 the doors 28 of the lifting mechanism 21 are completely closed when the lifting mechanism is in its lowered position and are partially closed when the lifting mechanism is in an elevated position.

The cylinders 22 of the two lifting mechanisms are connected with a source of propellant fluid, here shown as a tank 75. The propellant fluid is usually an oil and hereinafter will be referred to as oil. The flow of oil from thetank to the lifting mechanisms and from the lifting mechanism back to the tank is controlled by a control unit 76.

In Figures 2 and 8 there is shown in detail the control unit 76 which is adapted for the control of a lifting mechanism to which oil is delivered by air pressure. In Figure 1 there is shown the oil pressure tank 75 which is connected with the lifting mechanisms 20 and 21. The control unit 76 is connected with the lifting mechanism 20 by a conduit 77 and with the lifting mechanism 21 by a conduit 78. The control unit 76 is connected by a conduit 79 with a source of supply of air under pressure and is connected by a conduit 80 with the top of the pressure tank 75. The control unit 76 is also provided with an air exhaust pipe 80a for exhausting to the atmosphere air which has been received from the tank 75 through the conduit 80. The pressure tank is connected by an oil conduit 81 with the control unit 76. Within the control unit 76 are a plurality of valve controlled passages by which air may be admitted through the conduits 79 and 80 to the tank 75 to subject the oil therein to pressure and, while the oil is under such pressure, to connect the tank through the conduits 81',

Patented Feb. 10, 1959 77 and 78 with the cylinders of the respective lifting mechanisms.

The control unit 76 comprises a substantially cylindrical casing 82 which is generally similar to the casing 36 shown in Figure 1a. As shown 'in Figures 2 and 3, this casing is provided with an air passage 83 which is connected by the air conduit with the pressure tank. The casing is also provided adjacent the air passage with an inlet chamber 34 which is connected by the conduit 79 with a source of air supply. An air exhaust chamber 85 is in direct communication with the air passage 83. Arranged adjacent to, and preferably above, the inlet chamber 84 is an air outlet chamber 86 which is connected with the air inlet chamber 874 by a valve controlled passage and is in open communication with the air passage 83. Arranged above the exhaust chamber 85 is a second exhaust chamber 87 which is connected with the chamber 85 by a valve controlled passage and is in open communication with'an exhaust port88. The connections between the lower air chambers and the upperair chambers are identical and each comprises a tubular structure 89 extending through the upper chamber and having a passage 90 communicating with both the chambers 84 and 86, and 85 and 87. A spring pressed valve member 91 in the lower chamber engages the lower end of. the tubular structure to normally disconnect the lower passage from the upper passage. Connected with the valve member 91 is a valve stem 92 which extends through a stuifing box 93 in the upper part of the casing. Thus by opening the valve 91a in the chambers 84 and 86, the air from the supply conduit 79 will pass through the inlet chamber 84about the valve 91a to the upper or air outlet chamber 86 and thence through the air passage 83 and conduit 80 to the pressure tank, thereby placing the oil in the tank under pressure. After the lifting mechanism has been elevated and it is desired to lower the same, the air supply valve 91a is closed and the air exhaust valve 91 is opened and the air escapes from the pressure tank through the conduit 80 and air passage 83 into the lower exhaust chamber 85, about the valve 91 into the upper exhaust chamber 87 and thence through the exhaust, port 88 and the conduit 80a to atmosphere.

The air valves may be actuatedin any suitable manner. In the present instance they are cam operated. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, an elongate member 94 is mounted in the upper portion of the casing above the valve stems 92 for pivotal movement about a vertical axis. between theends thereof. The actuating member 94 is provided with a shank 95 which extends through and is rotatable in a bearing 95a in the top wall 96 of the casing. This elongate member is provided at each end with a cam surface 97 arranged above the corresponding valve stem. When the elongate actuating member 94 is in its normal or intermediate position, these cam surfaces are out of engagement with, or in very light contact with, the respective valve stems. When the actuating member is moved from its normal position about its axis in one direction, the air inlet valve will be opened and when the actuating member is moved about its axis from its normal position in the opposite direction, the air inlet valve will be closed and the exhaust valve opened. This movement may be imparted to the actuating member in any suitable manner, but preferably an operating device therefor is arranged above and close to the top of the valve unit where it may be engaged and operated by the foot of the operator. As here shown, the shank 95 of the actuating member 94 extends above the top wall of the unit and an elongate member 98 is rigidly secured between its ends to that shank. This elongate member engages the top wall of the unit and thus serves to support the actuating member 94 in, its proper position above the valve stems. The end portions of the member 98 may be enlarged as shown 4 at 99 to facilitate their engagement by the foot of the operator.

It is preferable that the foot operated member should be marked to indicate the direction in which it is to be moved to raise or lower the lift. As shown in Figure 5, the word up on the one end portion of the member 98 indicates that that end of the member is to be moved in the direction indicated by the adjacent arrow to cause the lifting mechanisms to be elevated. Likewise, the word down adjacent the other end of the lever means that that end of the lever must be moved in the direction of the adjacent arrow to lower the lifting mechanisms.

As shown in Figure 8, upon the opening of the air inlet valve 91a, air will flow in the dotted line 0 in the direction of the arrows through the air inlet chamber 84, through the tubular structure 89 and out through the upper chamber 86 to the air passage 83 and the tank. When the valve 91 is opened, the air will flow in the reverse direction through the air passage 83 through the chamber 85, about the valve 91 and through the inlet chamber 87 to the exhaust passage 88, as indicated by the arrows in the dotted line d of Figure 8.

The casing 82 is provided with an oil passage 100 which is connected with a lower portion of the pressure tank by the conduit 81. This oil passage extends through the lower portion of the casing to an upper level where it isin open communication with two oil inlet chambers 101 and 102 which are in open communication with the oil passage 100. Arranged below the oil inlet chambers 101, and,102 are two oil outlet chambers 103 and 104 which are in open communication respectively with a delivery passage 105 and a second delivery passage 106, these passages, being connected with the respective lifting mechanisms by the conduits 77 and 78.

Each inlet oil chamber is connected with the corresponding lower outlet chamber by a passage formed in a tubular member 107 and communicating through suitable ports with both chambers, the ports in the lower chamber being normally closed by spring closed valves 108 and 108a, each having a stem 109. When the valve controlling the connections between the respective inlet chambers and the outlet chambers is opened, the oil under pressure from the tank will flow through the oil passage 100 to the upper oil inlet chambers, from those chambers through the lower oil outlet chambers and then through the delivery passages to the respective lifting mechanisms, as shown by the arrow lines e in Figure 8.

When the lifting mechanisms have been elevated to the desired extent, the oilvalves are closed and the mechanisms thus locked in their elevated positions. When the lift is to be lowered, the air is first exhausted from the pressure tank as above described, and the valves 108 and 108a are again opened and the oil flows from the lifting mechanisms through the delivery passages in a reverse direction to the outlet chambers, thence through the valve controlled passages to the inlet chambers and is returned through the oil passage to the tank.

The oil valves may be operated in any suitable manner, but preferably the operating mechanism is of the type above described and comprises a wobble plate-like member or disc v secured to a spherical supporting member 111 and having parts extending above and in operative relation to the valve stems 109. As may be clearly seen from Figure 6, the cam portions 97 may be referred to as the arcuate projections projecting into arcuate notches in the wobble plate-like member 110. The notches in the wobble plate-like member 110 are sufliciently largeto permit oscillatory movement of member 95 actuating member 94 to actuate the valve members 92. The cam portions 97 cooperate with the arcuate notches-in member 110 to limit rotation of member 110, so as to insure the lobe-like portions overlapping the valve stems 109 for engaging the valve stems 109 whenever the wobble plate-like member 110 is oscillated. The spherical member 111 cooperates with its support toform a ball and socket joint, so that the handle may be moved out of the vertical in any desired direction. This device being provided with an operating handle or rod 112 is similar to the rod 67 shown in Figure 1A. The rod 112 extends through an axial opening in the spherical member 111 and is slidable therein to a position in which it extends above the casing 82 or to a position in which it is substantially enclosed within the casing 82 as shown in Figure 4. The plate 110 extends forwardly from the spherical member 111 and has slotted portions into which the cam portions 97 of the actuating member 94 extend.

The handle 112 is mounted for reciprocatory movement in the spherical member 111. When the handle is extended upwardly in the up position, as clearly shown in Figure 1A and also shown in Figure 6, the handle may then be oscillated or sloped from the vertical, so as to actuate either one or both of the valve stems 109. When the handle is not in use, it is preferable to have it dropped into the down position, as shown in Figure 4, at which time it projects downwardly through the center of the housing, as clearly shown in Figure 4. The handle may then be referred to as being in the inoperative position. This is to eliminate the hazard of the handle sticking upwardly when not in use. When in the down position, as shown in Figure 4, it projects up from the floor level only a very slight distance, a distance equal to the height of the knob on the end of the handle.

As may be clearly seen in Figure 4, a tubular sleeve 114 is provided with a spherical seat 116 engaging the side of the spherical member 111. A compression spring 118 is used to bias the tubular sleeve 114 against the spherical member 111. The lower end of the handle 112 is provided with a detent or a spring urged ball 128 that is seated in the annular recess 120 when the handle is in the raised position to hold the handle in this position. It is merely necessary to push downwardly on the handle to release the detent ball 128 from the recess 120 so as to drop the handle into the down" position.

Although the preferred embodiment of the device has been described, it will be understood that within the purview of this invention various changes may be made in the form, details, proportion and arrangement of parts, the combination thereof and mode of operation, which generally stated consist in a device capable of carrying out the objects set forth, as disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A valve unit including a cylindrical casing, said cylindrical casing having a vertically and centrally located apertured portion provided with a shoulder, a plurality of valves arranged in substantially equal radial distance from the said aperture, each of said valves communicating with inlet and outlet passages, each of said valves being biased upwardly into closed position by a compression spring, at least some of the valves having upwardly directed valve stems mounted for up and down reciprocatory movement, a capping member for the casing, said capping member having a centrally located hole having a surface on the under side thereof forming a sector of a sphere, a tubular memher seated in said aperture and biased upwardly by a compression spring seated on said shoulder, the upper end of the tubular member forming a spherical sector, a wobble plate-like member merging into a spherical member seated between the spherical sector of the capping member and the spherical sector of the tubular member, said spherical member being provided with a hole, said last mentioned compression spring resiliently supporting the wobble plate-like member and the spherical member between the tubular member and the capping member, said spherical member cooperating with the tubular member and the capping member to form a ball and socket joint, and a handle having a rod portion projecting through the hole in the spherical member, the oscillation of the handle actuating the wobble plate-like member to actuate one or more of said valve stems downwardly to open said valve or valves.

2. A valve unit according to claim 1, wherein the handle is mounted for sliding movement through said spherical member so as to have a down and inoperative position and an up and operative position.

3. A valve unit according to claim 1, wherein the handle is mounted for sliding movement through said spherical member so as to have a down and inoperative position and an up and operative position, and wherein a tubular housing projecting upwardly into the aperture in the casing and seated below said shoulder forms a housing for the lower end of the handle when in the inoperative position.

4. A valve unit according to claim 1, wherein the handle is mounted for sliding movement through said spherical member so as to have a down and inoperative position and an up and operative position, wherein a tubular housing projecting upwardly into the aperture in the casing and seated below said shoulder forms a housing for the lower end of the handle when in the inoperative position, and wherein the spherical menu her is provided with an internal annular recess located in the hole in the spherical member cooperating with a spring urged detent near the lower end of the handle to lock the handle in up position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,491,077 Beersworth Apr. 22, 1924 2,075,917 Vorech Apr. 6, 1937 2,144,616 Carlson Ian. 24, 1939 2,255,255 Hott Sept. 9, 1941 2,393,805 Parker Jan. 29, 1946 2,431,527 Walters Nov. 25, 1947 2,524,237 Smith Oct. 3, 1950 2,539,120 Courtot Ian. 23, 1951 2,555,427 Trautman June 5, 1951 2,569,598 Buchanan Oct. 2, 1951 2,588,597 Webster et al Mar. 11, 1952 2,624,586 Onasch Ian. 6, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 781,511 France Feb. 25, 1935 463,662 Canada Mar. 14, 1950 

